Feast of Tabernacles in Leipzig
Review
This year, once again, we celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles on the lawn of Andreasgemeinde, in front of the church building. In preparation, we got together to put up a very large tent, as quite a number of people had already registered.
On Thursday afternoon, we began decorating the sukkah with flowers, branches, fabrics, pictures, and strings of lights. Once again, it looked very cosy and welcoming.
On the first evening, just over 40 people accepted our invitation. We began with a time of praise and worship. Since everyone was already getting a little hungry, we took some time to enjoy a meal together first. As always, everyone had contributed something to our buffet, so we had a beautifully laden table.
Afterwards, Manfred Hoffmann took us deeper into the meaning of the water ceremony associated with the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus referred to this ceremony in John 7:37–39 when He cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink!”
We sang a few more songs, and then, of course, we danced by torchlight. Those who wished could also spend some time chatting around the campfire.
On Friday, we opened our sukkah again for the second evening. This time, the tent was bursting at the seams! We had to put an extra table inside to make room for everyone. Several families with their children also joined us, along with the young people from our congregation.
This time, we began with a small Shabbat celebration. We shared bread, wine, and grape juice, and then worshipped our God with several songs.
After the meal—which was so plentiful this time that we hardly knew where to put all the bowls and plates—Peter Slowik shared an important message with us. He spoke about our need to make provisions for ourselves and seek security rather than trusting in God's provision.
Afterwards, of course, we danced again! The young people enjoyed it so much that I had to give them an encore and dance one more time. Those who wished could round off the evening by relaxing and chatting around the campfire.
Once again, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped with setting up the tent, decorating, preparing everything, and taking it all down afterwards. We could never have managed it without you!!!
Kerstin Kluge
A Warm Invitation to the Feast of Tabernacles
“And you shall celebrate it for seven days each year as a feast to the LORD—a perpetual ordinance for your generations; in the seventh month you shall celebrate it. You shall dwell in booths for seven days.”
- Exodus 23:41–43
Dear friends of Gate to Zion, dear congregation,
God commissioned Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land of Canaan. This journey lasted 40 years. Along the way, they lived in “Sukkot” (tabernacles). The festival commemorates this, and it is also the Jewish Harvest Festival.
This year, too, we would like to celebrate this joyful festival with you and cordially invite you on
Thursday, October 1, and Friday, October 2,
at 7:00 p.m.
in the parish hall garden of the Andreas Congregation
at Scharnhorststr. 29.
We want to sing and dance together and learn how and why the Feast of Tabernacles is actually celebrated. Of course, we also want to eat, drink, and have a good time together.
It would be great if everyone could contribute something to the buffet again.
Just bring whatever you like to eat and a drink.
Admission to our sukkah is free. However, anyone who’d like to is welcome to make a small donation to cover expenses.
If you’d like to help us set up or take down the sukkah, please let me know. I’d really appreciate it!!!
Please RSVP to me by September 28 ( kerstin@kluge-leipzig.de ).
Looking forward to our celebration, warm regards from the planning team at
Tor nach Zion
